Tuesday, March 9, 2010 #2

1. Rachel Corrie - You may recall that Rachel Corrie was a young American member of the International Solidarity Movement who died in Gaza in March 2003. Not surprisingly, the circumstances of her death are bitterly contested by the ISM and the IDF, though it would seem that there is little doubt that she was acting as a human shield in a very dangerous place. A civil trial in the US against Caterpillar Tractor (for supplying the tractors to Israel to be used in contravention of international law) was dismissed. A lawsuit in Israel against the IDF and the Israeli Defense Ministry is poised to start tomorrow.



Here are my observations.
  • while her death is unfortunate to tragic, depending on your perspective, she was the author of her own misfortune. It is naive to think that she could act in this manner in a highly dangerous area without risking death or serious injury.
  • I would like to know where else in the world but in the liberal democracies could the lawsuits in question be permitted, and perhaps even seen as normal? Haven't heard a lot about lawsuits in Russia for what was done in Chechnya, in China for what was done in Tibet, or in Iran for what was done to its own people protesting a rigged election. As usual, everyone criticizes the structure of the liberal democracies until they can find a way to use it to their advantage. Guys, you cannot have your cake and eat it too.
  • it seems pretty clear that whatever Ms. Corrie thought she was doing, she and her buddies were being cynically used by the Palestinians for their own purposes. A Hamas activist stated to the Observer newspaper that ""[Corrie's] death serves me more than it served her. Going in front of the tanks was heroic. Her death will bring more attention than the other 2,000 martyrs."
  • in the article below, there is a picture of an apparently very angry Corrie (apparently wearing a head covering of some sort like that worn by many Muslim women - I guess she went along to get along - did she protest this or actively embrace it?) burning an American flag. Notice the audience of young children. Was that her style of activism - promoting hatred of her native country in front of children? Did she ever try to counter the unbelievable antisemitism that is rampant in the Palestinian media and education system? Did she preach love for her fellow human being, regardless of religion or nationality?
  • Corrie's parents have tried to say that the use of this flag burning picture was some sort of attempt to justify her death and that in essence that she received the death penalty for that act. Sure. Sorry - that is a bunch of foolishness - the two acts are separate, though it does show that Corrie was not the little angel she is portrayed to be. They also assert that she had the flag because the children she was working with had drawn 2 flags - one Israeli and one American - and that while she would not burn the Israeli flag because of the Star of David, she felt it OK to burn the American flag. Right. Can someone please tell me why Palestinian children in Gaza would be drawing US and Israeli flags? Call me cynical - but I don't think it was part of their world geography class.
So I am not particularly overwhelmed with sympathy for her or her family - especially since her death has been exploited as a propaganda tool against Israel. She put herself or allowed herself to be put in that position. This was not some sit-in of a college campus in the US, nor a protest outside a coffee store for not selling free-trade coffee. This was inserting oneself into an extremely dangerous place and then paying the price. You want to stick your nose into someone else's business - better be careful.

According to the legal maxim - volenti non fit injuria - which basically means that if someone willingly places themselves in a position where harm might result, knowing that some degree of harm might result, they cannot then sue if harm actually results - Hey Rachel - if the shoe fits.....

My final word - in this case, theory met reality. As is often the case, reality won. Case closed.




4. A Box Of Matza Costs What? - The High Cost of Jewish Living

5. This Makes Me Nervous - Biden reassures Israel on Teheran


6. Book Review - The Israeli Peace Movement: A Shattered Dream written by Tamar Hermann and reviewed by Benny Morris - Peace, Processed - by Benny Morris > Tablet Magazine - A New Read on Jewish Life.


7. Book Review #2 - Moses Montefiore: Jewish Liberator, Imperial Hero written by Abigail Green and reviewed by Adam Kirsch - Orthodox Liberal - by Adam Kirsch > Tablet Magazine - A New Read on Jewish Life




9. Good Old Iran - I would really rather blog about other things.....


11. Turkey - some interesting stories:
12. Nice Deed - a friend of mine who is vacationing in Florida helped rescue a stranded bottle-nose dolphin - way to go! My mind then immediately leaped to this Seinfeld classic moment.

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